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UK committee asks for opinions on promoting British food worldwide

Posted: 17 May 2018 | | 5 comments

The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee has launched an inquiry into promoting and marketing British food and drink.

FLYING THE FLAG: The GREAT Britain campaign was launched in 2012 off the back of the London Olympics

A Government committee is looking for submissions from the food and drink industry on how to build the British brand at home and abroad.

The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee launched the inquiry on Monday. It will focus on the current success of the Food is GREAT campaign, how the UK Government is working with industry partners to help build global recognition of UK excellence in food and drink, and identifying and opening new markets to UK products.

It invites written submissions and requests observations on the following issues:

  1. How effectively is the UK Government promoting and marketing British food and drink abroad;
  2. Whether British food and drink has an identifiable ‘brand’ overseas;
  3. What opportunities and challenges exist in promoting and marketing British products abroad;
  4. The support given by the UK Government to trade bodies and companies to break into overseas markets;
  5. How effectively Defra and DIT are working with the devolved administrations to promote British food and drink;
  6. The role of European protected status for food and drink;
  7. The role of trade bodies in facilitating and supporting the growth of British food and drink at home and abroad;
  8. How the UK Government can leverage industry quality marks such as the Red Tractor Assured Food Standard to underpin the UK’s reputation for high standards at home and abroad;
  9. What can be done to encourage consumers to buy British at home

Neil Parish MP, Chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, said: “Trade is vital to the UK’s economy. Our food and farming industry generates over £110 billion a year, and employs one in eight people in the UK

“It is essential that the Government takes steps to build Britain’s global brand for food and drink, and works with industry to promote our food and drink excellence around the world.

“Our inquiry will assess the merits of the Food is GREAT campaign, and its success in promoting British products at home and abroad.”

Written evidence should be submitted through the committee’s web portal by midnight on Friday June 8.

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5 responses to “UK committee asks for opinions on promoting British food worldwide”

  1. Marlyn Godfrey says:

    Absolutely agree. Scotland the brand is famous the world over. Do not refer to Scottish produce as British. Country of origin is NOT Britain as Britain is a collection of countries.

  2. Russ Hamilton says:

    Having travelled thoughout SE Asia, Africa and Europe, I can assure you that the Union flag may be instantly recognised, but it is most definitely NOT liked.
    There are too many bad memories for other countries that were colonised and brutalised under this flag.
    It may be happy memories for the British Empire, but not for the people that had to endure living under it.
    All home nations should be marked with their own identifiable country’s flags for goods made in those countries

  3. Brad Millar says:

    leave Scottish produce alone … we are proud of our own produce and brand we don’t want it branded as British …. be more worried about Indyref2 it’s coming soon

  4. Eileen MacPherson says:

    I and thousands of other Scots and I expect English are totally against this. Promote English foods as English or British, whichever the suppliers want. Scottish food MUST be clearly labelled Scottish. I happily buy, for instance, veg grown in Lincolnshire marked as British, often with a Union Jack on it. If I see Scottish produce, marked as British and with a Union Jack on it I will NOT buy it. If it is marked as Scottish with a Saltire then that’s what I’d buy. with or without flags, must be marked as Scottish, English, Irish or Welsh. The Scottish food industry is a large part of our economy which is separate to that of England. Do NOT fudge this. We are separate countries in a Union. Forget “British” as a label. The days of Britain or even worse, Great Britain are long gone and wii not return.

  5. D. Conley says:

    If we must have flags on our produce, how about you use flags of origin. So English produced foods/beverages would have a St. George’s Cross, Welsh food & beverages,would have the green & white with the dragon, the Scots produce & beverages would display the Saltire…..

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